Postal Workers at Risk from Dog Bite Accidents

According to new data released by the Government Accountability Office, dog bite accidents are some of the leading causes of injuries involving United States Postal Service employees in 2012

According to new data released by the Government Accountability Office, dog bite accidents are some of the leading causes of injuries involving United States Postal Service employees in 2012. A recent incident in Chula Vista once again highlighted the dangers to postal workers, who often find themselves face-to-face with potentially aggressive animals while they’re on their rounds.

The Chula Vista incident involves a postal worker, who allegedly sprayed pepper spray on a dog while he visited a home during his rounds. The dog’s owner says that the employee sprayed pepper spray on the animal, even though the dog was inside a fenced- in backyard. The woman is claiming that this is a case of animal cruelty, and believes that the postal worker went ahead and sprayed the dog, even though he was not in any danger from the animal.

According to postal officials, the worker in this case was a new hire, and is being questioned about his actions. However, postal officials also want to remind everyone, that postal workers have some of the highest risks of dog bites in the United States. In fact, the San Diego area records the highest numbers of dog bites involving mail carriers in California. Every year, an average of 80 postal workers are injured in dog bite attacks in San Diego.

There have been several severe and even fatal injury attacks involving dogs and postal workers in California. In July, a postal worker suffered severe neck injuries, when a dog pounced on his neck, and ripped it apart. In this case, the animal was a pit bull that had managed to escape from an unlocked gate. Over the past three years, two postal workers have suffered dog bite attacks that were fatal.

Obviously, all these incidents involving dog bites have made mail carriers very nervous, which probably explains the overreaction in the Chula Vista case.